Musical toy



Feb. 13, 1923.

M. A. MILLER MUS ICAL TOY Filed Feb. 14,1922- h. u.: l..

Patented heb. 13, 1923..

` memnrmrnn a. MILLER, o

MUSICA i sa r nutritious, maitenant.

L TOY.

To all /wwm t 'may concern.'

Be it known that l, MAXIMILLIAN A. Mn,- Lnn, a citizen ci the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore, in the `State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful lin* proveniente in Musical Toys, of which thefollowing is a specification,

This inventionrelates to musical toys, and inore'speciiically to amusical doll.

The main object of this invention is to provide adoll with means withinits body for producing a harmonizing succession of sounds, so that thedoll will simulate a per son singing or humming, or O a person playingan instrument when the doll is standing or sitting at a toy piano or thelike.

Another object of the invention is to provide within the body of thedoll a mechant cal operating mechanism for the `musical instrument, suchoperating mechanism being provided vwith a spring motor and kwith meansforl manually controlling the motor, this means being convenientlylocated `for manipulation, and yet being in position to be hidden by theclothing ot the doll. i v

Other objects-and advantages will be pointed out or implied in thefollowing details ot description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

v F igure 1 is a sectional view of themusical device and its operatingmechanism, the section being taken substantially along the line 1-1 ofFigure 2; v

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 1, theshutter being omitted. v

Figure 3 is al rear `elevation of a dolls body having the musicalinstrument and its driving and controlling mechanism attached thereto. yi i Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar referencecharacters corre-` spond with. similar parts throughout the sev- -eralviews, the invention consists inthe combination of parts,'as will now bedescribed in the following: l

The dolls body is indicated at 5, this body being vhollow and providedwith an opening 'G inY its back. Within this opening is a i'rame 7 ofanyv suitable metal or material, this `frame comprising two parallelplates S and 8 between which is located a train of gearing whichincludes gear wheels 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, the latter being inmesh with a worm 16 which is journaled in suitable -bearings -17 and 18of the trame 7 l fan 19 is unitedwiththe worm 16 and constitutes agovernor for regulating the speed ot the train ol gearing.

gear wheel 11 is mounted on a shaft to this shaft is secured a motor al,the outer end of this spring being secuiit to the ilrame The shaft 2O isprovided with a non-r 'indrical outer end lor engaging 'with a rey forturning this shatt and winding the spring 21. A ratchet is provided at23 Vfor connecting the wheel 1 1 with the shaft 20, so` that the spring21 drives the wheel 11 throughv the medium oi theshaiit 20. Because ofthe relation of n this wheel 11 to the previously mentioned gear wheels12 to 15 inclusive, the worm 16, and "tan 19, ,it rotates at arelatively slow speed, and in thus rotating it causes the gear wheelsll) and 9 to rotate, these latter wheels being mounted to rotate inunison on a shaft 24. lt should be understood that the wheels 12 and 13are rotatable in unison en a shaft 25 and that the wheels 14 and 15 arerotatable in unison on a shaft 26.

The wheel 9 .meshes with a wheel or spur gear which is mounted on ashaft 28 and rotatable in unison with this shaal't and with. a drum 29which is studded with pins or studs 30 'which engaged with a comb-likemember 3l which is iormed with vibratoiy tongues which produce musicalsounds when they are released from the respective pins et the drum 29.rlhe arrangement of such vibratory tongues with relation to the pindrumis publicly known, and is not here described in detail.

`For the purpose et stoppingr the operation of the driving mechanism ormotor, l may provide a suitable abutment 33 which is movable into andout oi the path of the tan 19 by any appropriate manipulative means,such, for instance, as indicated at 35.

`When the abutment 33 is moved out of the path of the tan 19 while thespring 31 is under tension, the latter will drive the train of gearing,thus driif'ing the drum 29 and causiugtho musical sounds to be produced.

lt will be seen that the plate 8 closes theopening (l ot the dolls bodyor trunk,

4and that this plate is provided with com- -i'iaratively small openingsthrough which the musical sound passes to the outer air. Because oi themusical sounds being muil'led within the hollow oiL the dolls body, themetallic sound eii'ects are modilied so that the musical sounds simulatethe human voice While singing or humming. By increasing the size of any-opening through the closing plate of the trame 7, the musical soundswill pass to the openair only slightly modied. A closure 36 may beprovided 'for increasing and decreasing the size of the opening in theclosing plat-e ot the traine 7, so that the musica-l sounds may simulatethe liiii'iian voice or vaniusical instrument, at the will ott-he childor oivneroil the doll. Any appropriate means may be provided lo-rsecuring'thev frame 7 to the body of the doll or Vtguretoy, oney meansbeing indicated at 37 this element 37 being preferably Va. strip etcomparatively flexible metal having its intermediate part' united Withthe closing plate, While itsend portions extend to op posits sidesot thedolls body and are provided with screw holes, so that screws may bepasseditherethrough into the body ot the doll or figure toy.

lt is'not' intended to limit this invention to tlilecombination oi' adolls body With a. musical instrument ot this specific kind orcharacter, nor to the kind of motor here illustrated and described, noris it intended to limitv the` invention tothe placing of a musicalinstrumentand driving mechanism Within the body of" a' doll, it beingWithin the scope of this invention to apply a musical device anditsdriving motor Within the body of a' figure toy other than a doll. rI"heretore', changes may be made Within the scopeof the inventive idea asimplied and claimed.`

What I claim `as my invention is:

l. The musical instrument which includes a trame having a plate as oneot itselements, resonant elementsoi' different musical tones, a rotarymember provided With means to impart vibrations to the respectiveresonant elements,` driving means 'torotate said rotary member,governing means to control the driving means; said tra-me combining Withsaid resonant elements, rotary member, driving. means and governingmeans so as to .torni a unitary structure in Which the last three namedparts are arranged in substantially vertically extending row and form amechanism thatv is relatively high and nar` row for being passed througha relatively high and narrow opening in a dolls body; said platebeingrelatively high and narrow and oi a size to close said opening;means being provided to secure said pla-te in position to close saidopening and support the said mechanism in the dolls body.

Q.4 The musical instrument which includes a t'rame having a plate as oneoi its elements, resonanty elements of diiierent musical tones, a rotarymember provided With means to impart vibra-tions to the respectiveresonant elements, driving' means to rotate said rotary member,governing means to control the driving mea-ns; said frameV combiningwitlr said resonant elements, rotary member, driving means and governingmeans so as to formv a unitary structure in which-` the resonantelements and the last three named parts form a mechanism that is capableot being passed through ain opening in a'dolls body; said plate beingol"a size Aand shape toclose said'opening; means being provided to securesaid platelin positionto close' said opening and Vsup-port said"mechanism in said dollslbody; said plate having anopen ingtheretlirouglil; and af closure mpvably secured on said plate'andbeingopera-ble to increase and decreasev the size of the opening ot' theplate', for the purpose specified.

3. The combination ot' a'I dolls body having a" relatively highy andnarrow opening therein; a trame including; ai plate as4 one of itselements; resonant elementsot' dilfe'rent musical tones;A a rotarymember Vprovided with means' to iin-part vibrations tothe re'- spectiveresonant elements,- driving:I ineansto rotate" said rotary member,`governingineans tof controlY the driving means; said trame combiningwithsaid resonant elements, ro tary member, driving' means" andr governingmeansso as'to torni' unitary structure in ivliich'the lastv three namedparts are" arranged substantially inlawvertical r'ovv and thus 'form a?vmechanism" that isi relatively high and narrow,4 forbeingfpassedthrough said1 relatively high-` and nari-0W opening ot' the'dolls body said' plate tbeing relatively high andnarroiv and oi aisize-"to" close said opening While supporting"said `A mechanism inthedolls body; and'means"for'secnring saidplate to said bodyin'positionl'to close said opening. f

Ll: Thecombination otafdolls bodyfhaving an opening therein", niusicproducing means capable oi" being' passed througlifsa'id opening, aplate supporting said musiclpro'- ducingmeans in the dolls bodyvlaindsubstantially closing said opening when 4the normal position. andlaastningstiiphaving its intermediate united Wit-h sa'id plate and havingits' end 'portions normally extending substantially to oppositc sidesetthe dollsbody andprovided with securing these 'ends to the"said*oppositesides.

ln testiiuonyv vvhe'il'eot I hereunto aiiib inv signature; y

